VSCO FILM 01 Review

You know how things sometimes just… click together? You hear a new soundtrack and, out of nowhere, it takes you away. You meet a new client or a friend and it feels as if you were meant to work together or help each other. Click. Just like that. You read a book, watch a movie, start a project, fall in love, get a job you never knew you wanted – click, click, click. It’s perfect. Nothing else feels quite like it – so bizarre and, at the same time, so obvious, you can’t help but smile as broadly as you possibly can. Ever since I made a switch from Photoshop to Lightroom, I’ve been looking back awestruck at how easy and quick my post-processing has become. All in one place with no permanent, destructive changes – it was a revelation. If previously, I considered using professional post-production services just to save time, Lightroom made the whole process hassle-free and I could do everything myself. Mind you, I am not Adobe’s spokesperson and would never promote their product like that without good reason. But Lightroom, despite all the frustrating bits…just clicked.

1) What is VSCO FILM?

Writing this review feels much like writing the Mamiya RZ67 review did – there are a lot of exciting things I am very impatient to tell you. Right about now I’d love to rave about how flexible and thorough these VSCO FILM presets are. How they are not just your regular stack of Lightroom adjustments, but also how they include camera-specific profiles and complex RGB curve adjustments. Most of all, I would like to tell you how perfectly VSCO FILM mirrors the way I see each photograph as I take it, in either color or B&W. Before I do all that, however, let’s first talk about what VSCO FILM is in the first place.

Visual Supply Co, better known simply as VSCO, is a small company that is “passionate about creating beautiful and efficient digital tools for the modern creative”, as they state themselves. VSCO FILM is a set of presets and camera profiles developed by this company that you can use to achieve a specific image look. All of them are based on current and classic films, such as Kodak Portra and Ilford HP5 (two of my favorite films), and can be used with a number of software tools (more about that later). However, unlike most other presets you can download from the Internet (often for free), VSCO goes beyond your regular sliders and curves. Yes, all of these presets rely heavily on the usual tools such as the already mentioned HSL panel and Tone Curve in Lightroom. But there is more to it. For example, the Tone Curve is set in all modes separately, which means you get four different adjustments – RGB (Master Curve) and then also Red, Green and Blue Curve adjustments. This sort of complexity is only half the story. Camera profiles that come with VSCO FILM presets are where the brilliance lies.

VSCO FILM comes with special camera profiles that are meant for a specific camera maker and model. If you shoot Nikon D800, after using a VSCO FILM preset the Camera Profile will be changed to a custom VSCO Nikon D800 profile within Lightroom. The presets themselves are also split into Nikon Pro, Canon Pro and Fuji Pro (with the latest FILM 01 release), as well as Standard that should work sufficiently well with all Lightroom-supported models. Why go through all the trouble? Consistency. Visual Supply Co obviously wanted to achieve the same as-close-to-real-as-possible look regardless of which camera is used to take the photograph. That meant creating separate camera profiles and slightly different presets for different makers. Something few users would be able to do themselves, right? Once you put all of this together, you see how complex VSCO’s product really is. A lot of work has been put into developing these presets. Sort of explains the $100+ pricing per release (though discounts are available). It also means you can not simply copy a specific preset to another computer. It will not work nearly as well without the camera profile, which is basically the main reason why these presets so accurately resemble real photographic film.

T-MAX 3200+

It is worth noting that VSCO has offers two other distinctive tools:

VSCO CAM is an Apple iOS camera, image editing and sharing app. At this point the word “Instagram” probably springs to mind, but it is not the same thing. I haven’t used the app myself not owning an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, but from what I’ve seen, it looks pretty good. I will jump ahead and say that if any of the post-processing presets from VSCO FILM are available there, it should be spectacular. Since VSCO CAM is free, you can always go ahead and check it out for yourself if you own Apple iOS products (available at the App Store). Click here to learn more about the app.

VSCO KEYS is a keyboard shortcut tool you can use with Lightroom 3 and 4, and, presumably, latest version as well. These are designed to greatly speed up you workflow by allowing you to set up specific hotkeys (and save several sets) rather than use the default Lightroom controls. VSCO KEYS is compatible with VSCO FILM presets, too. Currently priced at $79 with discounts available, you can find more information about this tool by clicking here.

VSCO products, and FILM more than any other, are far from being to everyone’s taste. Having said that, if these presets suit you, there’s a good chance you will like them a lot. All of these products, along with current prices can be found at VSCO’s online store.

1.1) VSCO FILM Packs

There are four VSCO FILM packs in total. What one has to understand with VSCO FILM, is that a latter version is not a successor to the earlier ones. That means VSCO FILM 01 is as current as FILM 02, 03 and 04. Rather than replacing older pack versions, VSCO is releasing additional presets of different films and looks. FILM 01 has some modern films available and is the one being reviewed in this article. FILM 02 has additional films available, all of which can be considered classics. These films include Ilford Delta 3200 and the discontinued Kodak Portra VC/NC series. FILM 03 focuses mostly on instant films while the recently released 04 is all about punchy and contrasty slide (positive) films.

Having separate film packs means you can skip on those that interest you least and purchase only the most tempting ones. However, buying all the packs can be quite costly. It is good to know that for such customers Visual Supply Co offers substantial discounts. I must warn you that visiting VSCO FILM page will likely either make you want to buy all the packs, or never come back there again depending on your taste in the look of digital photographs.

Portra 400+

1.2) Software Tools VSCO FILM can be Used With

Compatibility varies between the film packs, although both Windows and Mac OS platforms are supported. FILM 01 can be purchased for the following software tools separately:

Adobe Photoshop CS5/5.5 ACR

Adobe Photoshop CS6 & CC ACR

Adobe Lightroom 3

Adobe Lightroom 4 & 5

Apple Aperture 3

Starting with FILM 02, support for Photoshop CS5.5 and earlier and Lightroom 3 is dropped. FILM 02 can be purchased for use with the following software tools separately:

Adobe Photoshop CS6 & CC ACR

Adobe Lightroom 4 & 5

Apple Aperture 3

FILM 03 and FILM 04 further drop Aperture 3 support, although it is hard to say if this is permanent. These are the software tools that FILM 03 and FILM 04 can be purchased for separately:

Adobe Photoshop CS6 & CC ACR

Adobe Lightroom 4 & 5

As you can see, buying a version for Lightroom does not mean you can use it with Photoshop, too. You will need to separately purchase a dedicated release. Before you make your investment, think carefully on which software you want to use VSCO FILM with. FILM 01, being the original and “oldest” release, is compatible with the most software tools.

HP5+

1.3) List of Presets in VSCO FILM 01

The FILM 01 pack includes the following color film presets:

Kodak Portra 160 (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Kodak Portra 400 (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Kodak Portra 800 (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Kodak Portra 800 HC

Fuji 160C (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Fuji 400H (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Fuji 800Z (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Portra 400+

These B&W film presets are also part of FILM 01:

Kodak Tri-X (default, -, + and ++ versions)

Kodak T-MAX 3200 (default, – and + versions)

Ilford HP5 (default, – and + versions)

A couple of dozen special VSCO Tools presets come with FILM 01. These can be used to fine-tune the look of your image quickly – adjust sharpening, vignetting, contrast, saturation, fix orange skin tones and so on. Tools presets are made to work well with the included film presets. Naturally, you can adjust all of these settings manually through appropriate Develop Module sliders.

2) The Fun Part

With all of the above out of the way, it is finally time to talk about actually using the presets. One last thing before I start, however. When reading about my experience using VSCO FILM 01 pack, you are bound to notice just how much I like it. There is no catch – I really am about to give Visual Supply Co a lot of love for what they have done. As you read, however, keep in mind that all the thoughts I put down below are based on my experience using the presets and that alone. My opinion is just that – it is subjective. Be sure to take my style of shooting and taste in photography into account before deciding whether VSCO’s tools are right for you. This is why I’ve provided plenty of image samples. If you don’t like VSCO FILM, that is fine. By no means am I encouraging you to buy any of them. Another point I want to make absolutely clear is that VSCO has never asked any of the Photography Life team members to say nice things about them. Again, this article is based strictly on my own personal impressions.

400H+

2.1) Why VSCO FILM?

Have you ever noticed yourself walking down the street and staring at people as you go? That feeling is likely to be familiar to you if you’re into photography. I have never had it before I started shooting. Now, I can not walk past someone and not look at the person head to feet. I will look at what he or she is wearing. I will look at their eyes, lips, hair, shirt. Is he tired? Is she nervous? Has he been working all night? Did she notice a small boy who’s been staring at her from behind his mother’s skirt? I will look at how they move, try to notice gestures, who they make eye contact with. I will look at the light falling on her neck, highlighting that stray lock of hair she missed as she was getting ready for work in the morning. I will freeze all that inside my mind. Snap a photograph. And it’s not just people. I notice a late evening light coming from behind a building, subtly highlighting cafe windows on my right with warm light. Street lights, cars passing by, last reds and purples of the sky somehow complimenting the light shade of blue gently touching shadow-hidden roofs. Such tendency to notice tiny little details all around us is inseparable from the art of photography.

TRI-X 400++

At this point you probably want to ask me what all of this has to do with VSCO. All of the above stories popping-up inside the head are part of being a photographer for some, and certainly part of being a photographer for me. I can’t help it. The need to notice and photograph everything is just there even when I don’t have a camera. Seeing stories, however, isn’t the only weird thing that has been happening to me as I started documenting life around me. It not just the stories themselves, accurate or not. It is also how we see them that is so important. Which finally brings us to Visual Supply Co’s work.

The reason why VSCO works so well for me is the same one why it may or may not work for you at all. When I photograph, this is how I see, literally. At each and every single wedding, I see images in B&W and know how I want them to look in the end. I see images in color, I can see them grainy, light or dark, contrasty and subtle. I don’t know what it is – a favorite camera in my hand? My mood? The mood, purposefulness of the day and everything in it? Perhaps I am just plain weird, no idea. But this is how I see. Having said that, seeing is always very different from having your clients see it that way as well. The latter process does not involve just your vision. It requires skill of turning your vision into a final result that you can give away with confidence.

Portra 400+

Over the years, I have tried many different presets and plug-ins for Photoshop. Nik’s Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro are among the best and most flexible that I’ve come across, and could also be used with Lightroom. Both these products have a large user base for a reason. They really are good. But neither one was what I wanted – they didn’t allow me to post-process my photographs exactly how I saw them in my head. Then, I found using plug-ins not as fluent in my workflow with Lightroom as I may have wanted, so I dropped them. Not because they were bad in any way – there are hundreds of photographers that use Nik products and produce stunningly beautiful photographs. It just did not click with me.

So what do I do when there are no plug-ins and presets that I’d be completely happy to use? I make my own. And so I learned my way around Lightroom as best as I could, and continue to do so. I learned to adjust tones and color, learned to use the HSL panel and Tone Curve – two extremely powerful tools. And although I’m a long way from actually mastering Lightroom, I would go as far as saying I got pretty good at it. I’ve created a number of presets that worked well for me. I then improved them, got rid of them and made new ones. Sometimes I would finish post-processing half a wedding and stop after realizing I was not happy with what I got. The result did not match my vision that I had while photographing. That usually meant selecting all the processed images, hitting “Reset” button and starting over. In came new adjustments, improved looks. Good, but never perfect for my taste. You probably made the right guess right about now – I then came across VSCO FILM tools.

2.2) Using VSCO FILM 01 in my Post-Processing Workflow

The thing that astounds me most is not VSCO’s outstanding expertise in what they do. It is how well someone else’s color and tone interpretation suits my own. I do not even care if these presets mimic real-life film looks accurately or not (which, from my experience, they actually do). I prefer real film not just for the looks, but the process and overall experience. What I need VSCO for is to help me make my digital photographs look the way I see them as I press the shutter release. And that is exactly what I got.

Portra 400+

All the complexity generally makes VSCO FILM 01 tool very dependable. You get the same beautiful look no matter the time of day, light or location, as long as you set the basics right – White Balance and Exposure. All thanks to those custom camera profiles, I guess. What I am trying to say is that it is in fact possible to finish working on a photograph with just one click. Because of all the variables, my own routine adjustments sometimes required quite a bit of tuning to achieve the same or similar look. Not the case with VSCO. That said, it would be rather unreasonable to expect such an approach to work each and every time. For those like me who tend to be a bit more picky, VSCO’s Tools presets do a good job of allowing you to tweak your tones without losing the general look. Usually, I can get exactly what I want with two or three more clicks at the most (adjusting contrast, grain and/or sharpening), but it may be different for you. Often, rather than use the included tweaks, I prefer to nudge the Tone Curve or some slider myself. That is one of the strongest points of VSCO FILM tool – its flexibility. You can stack tweaking presets and adjust anything you want after applying them, you can even copy the settings and save new presets.

T-MAX 3200+

Inevitably, we have to talk about the downsides as well. If there is one small niggle, it is the actual amount of presets and tweaks available, or, to be more precise, choosing the right preset quickly. It is unlikely that one would use all the given tools equally as often. Chances are you will prefer one B&W and one color film preset for most of you work, and also two or three usual tweaking presets from the Tools stack. The rest will be used somewhat less often. The long list of presets can make selecting the right one somewhat fiddly due to all the scrolling. It is bearable if you have a high-resolution monitor, but most laptop users will struggle to avoid excessive scrolling however they arrange tabs on the left-side panel. There are two easy ways to solve this problem. Renaming the most-used presets by adding a symbol at the front of its name (a “-” or a “!”, for example) would work quite well and move the preset to the top of the stack. Alternatively, and this is what I have done, you can choose to move the said presets to a separate stack (called “Current VSCO 01″, for example) altogether. Such a simple problem with an equally simple solution shows how difficult it is to find any fault with VSCO’s tool. Though complex under the hood, it is far from being difficult to use.

3) Summary

Buying a set of VSCO presets will not make you a better photographer. You can not force the look onto your photographs if it does not suit them to start with. VSCO FILM 01 will not correct your light, tell a story for you or improve choice of composition. It will not create emotion where there is none, nor even show your camera’s technical ability at its best. Far from it, actually – by default, most of the looks are actually rather tuned down on sharpness and contain an abundance of film grain. As with expensive, exotic gear – it will make no improvement whatsoever for those who do not know how to use it. As with expensive, exotic gear – nail all of the above yourself and you will be awed to see it all come together, complimented by the beautiful color and tones VSCO FILM 01 can help you achieve.

Portra 400+

Whether VSCO FILM 01 is worth recommending or not comes down to your personal taste and photography style. Nature and bird photographers, for example, will hardly find these presets interesting. You either like the look FILM 01 gives you or you don’t, and that is it. Whichever the case, there is no doubt Visual Supply Co has done a pretty darn good job with FILM 01.

For me, VSCO ticks the last box in my photography. Would it be a whole lot worse without that particular look of a Kodak Portra 400+ film preset? No. But it would be incomplete.

T-MAX 3200+

Portra 400+

T-MAX 3200+

4) Where to Buy

Visual Supply Co run their own online store for their products. You can find it by following this link.

VSCO FILM 01

Features

Value

Ease of Use

Speed and Performance

Photography Life Overall Rating

5

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About Romanas Naryškin

A student and a wedding photographer with a passion for cinematography and writing. You'll see me buying film even when there's no food in the fridge. Follow me on Google+, Facebook or visit my wedding photography website to see some of my work.

Julie

It was so delicious to read!

https://www.facebook.com/romanuipatinkafotografuoti Romanas Naryškin

Thank you, Julie, I am very glad you liked it. :)

http://www.viktorfriesen.com Viktor

Great review with wonderful pictures!

https://www.facebook.com/romanuipatinkafotografuoti Romanas Naryškin

Thank you, Viktor!

Marco

Hi Roman, have you had any experience with Red Leaf Studios presets? I’m thinking of getting them but they’re a bit pricey and I haven’t found any reviews.

https://www.facebook.com/romanuipatinkafotografuoti Romanas Naryškin

Marco, if I’m not mistaken, I think one of our team members – Laura – has or is using Red Leaf Studios presets. I will ask her to share some of her impressions with you. :)

http://www.lauramurrayphotography.com Laura Murray

YES- I love Red Leaf actions– they are fantastic. I use them to help mimic the look of film when I shoot digital. Like any actions, you do need to tweak a bit, but for the most part they do a great job for me!!!

Marco

Great! Thank you for the message Laura, I think my mind is made up now :D

Stephanie Rodriguez

I am on the fence between Red Leaf and VSCO film too!!! Laura have you used both or just Red Leaf? thanks!!

http://rjohansson.com Rasmus Johansson

Love VSCO film 1 & 2. I’m an Aperture user so I cant use 3 and 4 but I do hope those will be developed for Aperture in the future though!

Nick

I’m curious how they compare with Exposure 5? I’ve loved using that software but am always looking for an alternative. Would you recommend it over Exposure?

Wayan

Finally it was published, i was really eager to see your review after our short talk in facebook.

First of all, you’ve shown me another amazing photos (as usual). I could not more agree with you in many aspects in regard of VSCO Film. Yes, I got that “click” once I saw what VSCO Film did to some photos gallery, right after that I bought the 01 one (for Lightroom 4). Yes, it would not help you to take a good photos, it is sharpening what you have got with a certain taste. An another yes for improvement that you point out here for VSCO Film. I just bought the 04 version and it has much longer list of presets than the 01 :(. But by this time you can count me as one of their big fans.

Again, thanks for the review and can’t wait to your next article..

Max

Hi Romanas,

Thanks for the article. With the VSCO toolkit I get very easy the colors and look I really like (with minimal effort). The tip I was waiting for!

marius

i have been thinking about starting to shoot film…is this a real alternative concerning the look not the feel obviously but does it really capture all the nuances of an analog image?

https://www.facebook.com/romanuipatinkafotografuoti Romanas Naryškin

Marius,

Max is quite right in his comment below. VSCO has done a pretty spectacular job at making sure their Film packs are as close to the real thing as possible when it comes to looks. We are talking careful research and development. You are unlikely to get closer to the look of film for your digital files, that is true. Still, if you want to try shooting film, you should go ahead and try shooting film. VSCO is not and never will be a replacement for my film gear.

Max

No it doesn’t. Although I like VSCO a lot the real analog is still a different world.

The problem with modern digital photography is that it is just too perfect. It doesn’t leave anything to the imagination of the spectator. When we see old analog pictures it gives us a “warm” feeling. That is because we are able to fill in our own feelings or memories.

I understand to exaggeration the importance of perfectly sharp and completely noise free picture is the holy grail to camera sellers and lens testers(who make money with it) but perfection when reached is be so boring…

marius

thank you for helping me out, max and romans! i guess i will go ahead and try shoot some film and if i do want to apply this look to my digital pictures i will rethink on vsco :) thanks guys ps romanas i LOVE all of your articles! you are a gifted teacher

Micaela

Thank you so much for this review! You were very detailed and passionate, and your review and work has sold me on purchasing the Film 01 pack. I’ve been looking for a while for a good, solid review and yours was perfection. Thank you!!

http://romanuipatinkafotografuoti.lt Romanas Naryškin

Micaela, I really hope you are happy with the presets! Thank you for your kind words :)

http://www.nickenglishphotography.com Nick English

Fantastic article and very interesting to read! I have bought both Exposure 5 and VSCO (1&2) and am currently leaning towards Exposure 5 in offering better “out of the box” presents. I find that with Exp5, I apply the preset, either love it or hate it immediately… and apply it. I will sometimes adjust it a little if required, but minimally. VSCO however is more of a starting point. Ie, apply the preset then spend another couple of minutes fine-tuning it.

I want to love VSCO becuase in theory it should be a lot quicker than Exp5 because its all within LR, rather than requiring an export to external app, so maybe I need to use it more, to get better at it… but I would still say that as an “out of the box” editing app, Exp5 offers better simple “click and go” editing, which looks superb.

http://hannahdurston.vsco.co Hannah Durston

First, thank you for the excellent review! it was very well done and described thoroughly. I’m a heavy vsco user on my phone but for quite a while I’ve been wishing I could download it to my macbook because editing a picture on the big screen is more thrilling. I feel dumb asking this question (especially after reading this excellent review) but since vsco film costs $119, I need to know for sure before I bought it. Is vsco film used on the computer then instead of on my iphone? I haven’t found any description that has outright said my answer so I was worried. Since it is compatible with lightroom I was thinking yes but I am still unsure on this question. I am seriously considering the purchase if it is for my macbook. Thank you so much!

http://romanuipatinkafotografuoti.lt Romanas Naryškin

Hannah,

I reviewed VSCO for Lightroom. There are other versions, too, and everything should be very clear in the vsco store. :)

MrTkMk

What a beautifully written article! I feel as though I know exactly how you feel. I am by no means a photographer. I have an interest in photography, and a general respect for design and imagery. I bought a Nikon DSLR some time back and really didn’t do too much with it. But recently I was blown away by the stunning photos produced by our wedding photographer. As a result I started to use my Nikon more, but I just couldn’t understand how he got that look and feel. I then met him at a subsequent wedding and he introduced me to the world of VSCO! VSCO and the VSCO community have greatly elevated my desire to improve my photography. I hope one day to produce images such as those you’ve shown above :D

Kate

Thank you for this article! I’m sorry if this question is ridiculous but the vsco film 1 can be used to edit digital photos to look almost like film? The pictures you’ve shown are all film or digital?

Carl TightShooster

Thank you Romanas for the VSCO review; I used to develeop my pics out of the box with LR without presets (or minimum an own default preset) , but defenetly I will start to dive into VSCO on my next shooting .. /Karl

Betty Manousos

great post! i feel dumb asking this question-especially after reading this wonderful review…is vsco editing software only for photos taken with digital camera’s and ipnone’s? thank you so much.

These pictures look completely digital and $600 for Lightroom presets is preposterous.

This whole faux analog aesthetic is pathetic. People are spending hundreds on apps for retro overlays while the actual film stocks that these presets (attempt) to emulate are slowly disappearing from the market. An SLR and a lens can be had for peanuts, yet people are quicker to dismiss that shooting process in favor of hours on their asses in front of Lightroom. Why are you going to spend absurd amounts of money on a digital camera, only to apply these filters, when you could have just shot film instead?This is just lazy and unambitious.

http://romanuipatinkafotografuoti.lt Romanas Naryškin

Hello, Skimp.

Perhaps you are right. Although I try to judge the actual work and not methods, personally. And if you are the same at least sometimes in this regard, you might want to take a look at VSCO Grid. And then blush uncontrollably, because much better photographers than, say, me, are using the tools as well and seem to be fine.

A pack of “presets” (you can’t actually call them that if you have the faintest idea of how much work has gone into all of it, as I mentioned in the article) is nowhere near $600, it’s $119. And, as I also mentioned in the article, it has nothing to do with film. It has everything to do with the tone and color.

If I sound a little harsh, forgive me. That is only because of the way you chose to express your opinion by putting down those who find VSCO not only of use, but a great, great way to save time on processing.

I will call them ‘presets’ because the website says these packages are ‘a collection of presets and camera profiles emulating current professional negative films’. They are presets i.e. curves, levels, gamma etc. Also, I’m not sure what you mean when you say it has nothing to do with film. It seems to have everything to do with film. You like the way film looks (or the perceived idea of the way film looks) but you don’t shoot film. You’re putting a film aesthetic on digital images and then saying it has nothing to do with film. Ridiculous. I consider photography to be an art form, and like any other art form there is a process to it, but if you have to spend $100 on presets to expedite that ‘process’ you’ve taken the creativity right out of it and you’re just producing stock art.

http://romanuipatinkafotografuoti.lt Romanas Naryškin

Alright. I will try one more time, since it might be that you don’t seem to understand the concept of subjectivity.

You can call them whatever you like. They are still not just presets, as you quoted yourself. The packs also include the imperative camera profiles, which are tied to specific presets, and that makes the whole difference. Profiles, which most likely took much more work for VSCO to make than the presets themselves. Also, $119 per set – yes. No one is telling you to buy all the packs. It is like saying that, if you need Adobe Lightroom, you have to buy all the software Adobe has ever created. That’s silly, to put it lightly.

In fact, no one is telling you to do anything, yet somehow you keep using the word “have to” as if you are being ordered to purchase these. My word, mate, if you hate the idea so much, why are you even bothering with all this? For you, this is apparently stupid. For me, VSCO saves hour and hours of working with Lightroom trying to achieve a desired look, which also means it either saves me money, or allows me more time to spend with my family. So leave an opinion, not a rant, not an attempt to put down any and every VSCO user because you find the presets not worth the investment. Or are you saying your opinion is somehow “truer” than mine?

And now we touch the concept of subjectivity again. It allows me to save time, it makes things easier for me, and so I choose to use the VSCO tools. For me, it has nothing to do with film, but everything to do with the look itself, in isolation. I mentioned that in the article.

Reading your comment I instantly feel you have no respect for anyone who thinks differently, and you’ve no realization that your position towards VSCO is just that, a position, an opinion, nothing more or less. What you are doing is in no way an opinion, it’s a frankly sad attempt to ridicule those who like VSCO based just on the fact that you don’t like VSCO. Imagine me saying something like “how can you NOT spend that much on a pack of presets? What, do you ENJOY spending hours working with a PC rather than photographing? Or do you just have so much time to spare and nothing better to do?” That would sound disgusting, would it not? Think on it.

And, lastly, I do shoot film, 35mm and MF. I enjoy it immensely, more so than digital, yet I also manage to somehow realize there’s a tool for the right job. I don’t think more needs to be said, and I am certainly not going to bother. I really enjoy sharing my experience with our readers, educating them even if there is ever a chance. I don’t in the slightest enjoy educating readers about what proper manners are and how to express your opinion without being a jerk.

For the last time, forgive me for my lack of manners. I am certainly not on my best behavior and this conversation is not the best representation of the sort of person I am. I am being sincere. It is just that I have no tolerance for the narrow-minded, but I am working on it.

EDIT: one more thing. You call using VSCO “creating stock art”. Sorry, that’s rubbish. I would like to think that there is a little bit more to my work than just the “look”. Otherwise, it is the same as saying all those who use Ilford HP5+ are producing stock art, because they are basically using the same “preset”. It goes for any and all sorts of film, actually, and any sort of camera-specific JPEG conversions, too. Rubbish. I think you let post-processing matter too much.